1. Technical Field
This invention generally relates to fishing equipment and in particular it relates to a specific configuration of a fly fishing rod and reel combination.
2. Background Art
In most types of sport fishing techniques, e.g., fly casting, bait casting and spin casting, the objective is to project or to "cast" an artificial lure or live bait, having fishing line attached thereto, into fish filled waters in hopes that a fish will take the bait. Because fish are easily spooked by the presence of a human, it is necessary for fishermen to cast his bait a great distance away from his person. The energy which propels both the lure and the fishing line is stored and subsequently released by a thin elongated flexible rod, commonly known as a fishing pole. When the rod releases the potential energy, the energy is transmitted to the fishing lure and propels the fishing lure horizontally over the surface of the water.
This phenomenon is relatively easy to understand in the cases of both bait and spin casting where the lure or bait is relatively heavy. In these instances the mechanics of the back cast, coupled with the weight of the lure, cause the fishing rod to flex as the fisherman starts the forward cast, thereby storing energy in the rod. At the end of the forward cast as the rod straightens out, the line is released and allowed to move freely across the water.
In fly casting however, the artificial lures or "flies" used are extremely light weight and are incapable of causing the rod to flex. In fact, the lures are so light weight that the resistance due to air friction cannot be overcome unless the fly is attached to a heavier object Hence, a fly fisherman is really casting the fly line rather than the fly itself. Accordingly, a great deal of effort has been expended on designing fly lines and tailoring casting methods to efficiently propel the line through the air.
It is well known that one of the most important parameters for a fly caster to control is the diameter of the loop created in the line by the casting motion. This loop travels along the line in the directions of both the forward cast and the back cast and actually defines the transition point between the accelerating portion of the fly line and the decelerating portion of the fly line. Since the loop moves along the fly line, it is subject to the effects of air friction. It is easy to understand then, that the larger loop diameter, the greater the resistance due to air friction and the less efficient the cast will be.
Through years of refinement, fly casters have found that the smallest loop can be maintained by keeping the rod tip in substantially a horizontal plane with respect to the ground. This technique is contrary to the traditional bait and spin casting techniques where the rod and reel are swung through an arc about the fisherman's shoulder and elbow. Additionally, in both bait and spin casting, there is an exaggerated wrist pivot which accelerates the rod tip through the cast arc. During a fly cast, on the other hand, only subtle wrist movement is used to accelerate the rod tip. If too much wrist movement is present, the diameter of the loop increases, greatly reducing casting efficiency. Additionally, the timing between forward and back cast is of critical importance as the line can act like a bull whip and actually snap the fly off of the attached leader.
FIG. 1A of the appended drawings shows the relative torque moments about pivot point P on the rod handle, produced by the weight of the attached fly wheel associated with the standard fly fishing rod and reel combination known in the prior art. It is quite evident from this graphical analysis that the magnitude of the torque moment changes quite drastically throughout a single pass of the casting motion. It is easy to comprehend how this greatly varying torque moment can ill effect casting efficiency, considering the criticality of the timing and the subtlety of the wrist movement. Additionally, because a typical fly fisherman can easily make more than a thousand casts in a day of fishing, it is equally easy to comprehend how continuously compensating for the changing torque moment can unduly fatigue a fisherman.
What is needed is a fly fishing rod and reel combination which provides a much smaller degree of variance in the relative magnitudes of the torque moment produced by the weight of the reel about the theoretical pivot point. It is therefore an object of the instant invention to provide a fly fishing rod and reel combination which is easier to cast and less fatiguing to use and which produces more efficient and longer casts.